Fred and George enjoyed making mischief from a young age, and were quite a handful for their parents. It was not uncommon for explosions to be heard coming from the bedroom the two shared. They also greatly enjoyed teasing their brothers Percy and Ron. At the age of five, Fred transformed Ron's teddy bear into a giant spider, sparking his arachnophobia, after Ron broke his toy broomstick. Also around that age, he gave Ron an Acid Pop, which burnt a hole through his tongue.[4] When they were seven years old, Fred and George nearly succeeded in getting Ron to make an Unbreakable Vow; their father was so angry that Fred later said "his left buttock has never been the same since."[5] One Christmas, Fred and George set off a Dungbomb under the chair of their great-aunt Muriel during a family dinner. The elderly witch most likely wrote the twins out of her will for this stunt, and stopped attending Christmas celebrations at the Burrow, for which all the Weasley children were thankful. [6]

Hogwarts Years

Early Years

"...Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny..."

Fred also became friends with Harry Potter in his third year, when Harry palled around with his younger brother Ron and was made the Quidditch team's Seeker. Fred and the other players believed that the addition of Harry would be a real shot in the arm to their chances of winning the Quidditch Cup. Around the Christmas holidays, Fred and George got in trouble for bewitching several snowballs to follow Professor Quirrell around, and hit him in the back of the head (they were, of course unaware that they were throwing snowballs in Voldemort's face). They stayed in the castle for the holidays along with their brothers and Harry, all of whom received jumpers from Mrs. Weasley. The ones she sent to Fred and George had their initials on them, prompting them to call themselves "Gred and Forge". The twins also dragged Percy away from his fellow prefects, insisting that Christmas was time for family, and stole his prefect badge, much to his irritation.[8]

Fourth year

In the summer of 1992, Fred, George, and Ron rescued Harry from his relatives' home, pulling the bars off his window and flying him to the Burrow in their father's Ford Anglia. The twins soon began their fourth year at Hogwarts, and took to teasing their younger sister Ginny as she began her first year. They were trying to cheer her up, unaware that her emotional state was fragile due to the influence of Tom Riddle's Diary. When many students speculated that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin that year, neither Fred nor George took it seriously, making jokes about it to lighten Harry up. They were also outraged when Draco Malfoy called Hermione Granger a "filthy little Mudblood", after she implied that Malfoy had bought his way onto the SlytherinQuidditch team, unlike the Gryffindor players. Fred and George both lunged at Malfoy, only to be blocked by Marcus Flint. That year, they were also delighted to hear that Percy had a secret girlfriend because it was an opportunity to tease him.[4]

In the summer of 1993, the Weasley family went to Egypt, where Fred and George attempted to lock Percy into a pyramid, which their mother prevented and scolded them for. They thought their older brother was acting particularly pretentious because he had been appointed Head Boy, and repeatedly mocked him for it.[7]

Fred and George unsuccessfully attempting to place their names in the Goblet of Fire.

Fred and George began inventing magical prank items the summer of 1994, starting with the Ton-Tongue Toffee, which Fred "dropped" near Harry's cousin Dudley Dursley in order to test it out. This was very successful. Fred also attended the Quidditch World Cup with his parents, siblings, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger, and gambled all of his money on the outcome, which their father told them not to mention to their mother. When Ludo Bagman defaulted on his bet, Fred was furious, and suggested that it was "time to play dirty" like Bagman by informing the Ministry of Magic of his activities. George was against the idea, arguing that it was blackmail.

The twins began trying out and selling their products, such as Canary Creams, at Hogwarts as their sixth year began. That year, Hogwarts also hosted the Triwizard Tournament. Despite being under-age, Fred and George wanted to put their names in the Goblet of Fire, and used an Ageing Potion in an attempt to fool the Age Line Spell, without success, as Dumbledore of course had expected it. When the Yule Ball was announced, Fred asked Angelina Johnson to attend with him, declaring it a "piece of cake" to ask a girl out. At the end of the school year, Fred and George were surprised and very grateful when Harry gave them the ten thousand Galleons he won in the Triwizard Tournament in order for them to start their joke shop.[9]

When the D.A. was discovered later in the school year, Albus Dumbledore took the blame and departed Hogwarts, leaving Umbridge as Headmistress. Fred and George decided that they no longer cared about getting into trouble, and that they were going to cause as much mayhem for Umbridge as possible. When the Inquisitorial Squad was formed and one member, Graham Montague, attempted to dock House Points from them, Fred and George shoved him head-first into a Vanishing Cabinet before he could finish speaking. They set off spectacular fireworks of their own creation, Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs, which soon became best-selling products. After taking their disruptive activities easy during the Easter holidays, Fred dropped out of Hogwarts with George in a final act of rebellion against Umbridge. They left in a flourish of vandalism, chaos, and hexing members of the Inquisitorial Squad. A small part of a Portable Swamp created in the corridors by the twins was preserved by Professor Flitwick, as he saw it as a "really good bit of magic".[10]

Career as a shop proprietor

Beginning of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes

Umbridge: "You two are about to learn what happens to wrong-doers in my school."

Initially, Fred and George's ambitions to open a joke shop came as a disappointment to their parents, who had hoped they would seek employment with the Ministry of Magic like their father.[10] However, the spectacular success of the twins' business, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, located at 93 Diagon Alley, immensely impressed his parents and made them proud.[5] What had started out as a mail-order experiment in entrepreneurship sky-rocketed into a very lucrative undertaking. In fact, it was so successful that in 1996, the twins had moved out of their childhood home and into a flat above the store; later, the twins considered buying Zonko's Joke Shop in Hogsmeade, which had closed the previous year.[5]

Success as a businessman

Fred: "You don't pay here."

Harry: "But-"

George: "You gave us our start up loan, we haven't forgotten. Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask."

None of this would have been possible without the funding Harry Potter had given them in 1995.[9] For Harry's generosity, the twins allowed him to take any merchandise free of charge. In the summer of 1996, Harry, Ron and Hermione Granger visited the shop and Fred showed Harry around. He also offered Hermione a Patented Daydream Charm for free after she called them "extraordinary magic", but still charged Ron for his purchases. Ron also made some rude gestures at Fred for having him pay, which, to his misfortune, Mrs. Weasley saw. Fred and George also questioned Ginny on her love life, much to her irritation. That Christmas, the twins stayed at the Burrow for the holidays. When Percy arrived with Minister for MagicRufus Scrimgeour, and it became clear that the two had only come so that the Minister could question Harry, Fred threw mashed parsnips at his older brother, along with George and Ginny, causing Percy to leave swiftly.[5] In 1996, Fred appeared at King's Cross Station wearing a dragon-skin coat. These are very expensive and Fred was only able to buy it due to the fact that "business was booming."

Participation in the Order of the Phoenix

Battle of the Seven Potters

"None of us really fancy it, Harry. Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever!"

Fred Weasley was a strong supporter of Albus Dumbledore, and joined the Order of the Phoenix as soon as his parents would allow him. In the summer of 1997, Fred and George took part in the Battle of the Seven Potters, becoming two of the "seven Potters" to act as decoys while the Order removed Harry from 4 Privet Drive. Fred flew with his father on a broomstick, and was upset to learn that his twin lost an ear due to a Sectumsempra curse at the hands of Severus Snape during the battle. Although initially panicked to the point of being speechless when he saw his twin's loss, as soon as George started joking about it, Fred calmed down.

Wedding of Bill and Fleur

George: "I wish old Uncle Bilius was still with us, though; he was a right laugh at weddings..."

Fred: "...before he went loopy he was the life and soul of the party. He used to down an entire bottle of firewhiskey, then run onto the dance floor, hoist up his robes, and start pulling bunches of flowers out of his –"

That same summer, Fred and George eagerly flirted with two "pretty French girls" who came to the Burrow to attend their brother Bill's wedding to Fleur Delacour. He also reminisced about his late uncle Bilius, to the entertainment of George, Ron, Harry, and Hermione.[6]

Potterwatch

"Point is, people, don’t get lulled into a false sense of security, thinking he’s out of the country. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so don’t count on him being a long way away if you’re planning to take any risks. I never thought I’d hear myself say it, but safety first!"

When the war reached its worst point in late 1997 and 1998, Fred participated under the code names "Rodent" and later "Rapier" in Potterwatch, a radio programme hosted by his friend Lee that opposed Voldemort's reign of terror. They spread the truth about the Death Eater regime that was not being reported by the Daily Prophet or other news outlets, and encouraged the public to support Harry and to protect Muggles who were falling victim to the Death Eaters.[6]

Battle of Hogwarts and death

Percy: "Hello, Minister! Did I mention I’m resigning?"

Fred: "You're joking, Perce! You actually are joking.... I don’t think I’ve heard you joke since you were –"

While fighting, Fred was killed in an explosion outside the Room of Requirement. One of the last things Fred heard before dying was Percy joking about resigning from the Ministry. Percy wouldn't leave Fred's side until Harry and Ron helped him move the body to somewhere safer, coincidentally behind a suit of armour. His body was later moved to the Great Hall, where family and friends then mourned over him.

Ron and Molly crying over dead Fred

Post-mortem

His whole family, as well as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, were devastated when Fred died. The rest of the Weasley family survived to see the downfall of Voldemort and the end of the war. His twin brother George later had a son whom he named in honour of his lost brother.

Physical description

Fred, similar to all the Weasley children, had a head of flaming-red hair and abundant freckles. He had a shorter and stockier build, like his brothers George and Charlie, rather than a tall, thin build like his brothers Bill, Percy and Ron[8]. However, Fred was taller than Harry Potter, and thus was still above average height[11].

Personality and traits

Arthur Weasley: "That wasn't funny, Fred! What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

Fred: "I didn't give him anything. I just dropped it...it was his fault he went and ate it, I never told him to."

Fred Weasley was the more outgoing, daring, and sarcastic of the twins. During the rescue from the Dursleys in 1992, George picked the lock on Harry's bedroom door with a hairpin, while Fred insisted Muggle tricks were important to know, even if it was "a bit slow"[4]. Fred also "dropped" a Ton-Tongue Toffee for Dudley Dursley to find and eat. Fred also concocted the scheme of trying to fool Albus Dumbledore's Age Line to get into the Triwizard Tournament, though it was unsuccessful, and was in favour of blackmailing Ludo Bagman after he defaulted on a bet, while George had reservations.[9] Fred tended to take the ringleader role in their pranks, but was also crueller in his humour or in dealing with those he disliked[12]; for example, he and George had absolutely no compunction in forcing Graham Montague into a Vanishing Cabinet, an act which nearly killed him, according to Draco Malfoy. Fred could be quite callous in dealing with the victims of his pranks, particularly his older brother Percy, but was more compassionate when he did not feel that the victim deserved it; for instance, he immediately provided Hermione Granger with bruise removal paste after she was accidentally given a black eye by the twins' boxing telescope[5]. Fred was also the first to forgive Percy when he reconciled with the family[6].

Both he and George were renowned for their senses of humour; they were able to make people laugh and relax even in very trying times. Neither Fred nor George took school very seriously, but they were both talented wizards, and demonstrated their ingenuity in their inventions and their business sense in running a highly lucrative shop. They were also staunchly loyal to their loved ones and very brave, having been sorted into Gryffindor and unafraid to stand up against what they thought was wrong, whether it was Dolores Umbridge's tyranny at Hogwarts or Death Eaters.

Magical abilities and skills

"E for Exceeds Expectations. And I've always thought Fred and I should've got E in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams."

Although not a high achiever academically, Fred was a very clever, talented, and creative wizard as he and his brother were extremely skilled at charming and bewitching items. Harry Potter once expressed bewilderment as to how he and George received only three O.W.L.s each, remarking that they "really know their stuff"[10]. When the twins turned seventeen, they were able to use magic outside of Hogwarts, and took full advantage of this. They did everything by magic and frequently Apparated around 12 Grimmauld Place and the Burrow, much to their mother's irritation.

Skilled flyer: Fred was a highly talented Beater for the Gryffindor Quidditch team from his second year on. Oliver Wood described Fred and George as "unbeatable"[9] and Harry Potter thought that they flew like two "human Bludgers"[8]. Thus, Fred was an excellent flyer and also had highly precise aim, as proven in 1992, when he smashed a Bludger with exceptional aim towards Draco Malfoy, even though Malfoy had the fastest broom of the day, and Fred only a Cleansweep Five. In fact, he only missed because of Dobby the house-elf's intervention. After the twins left Hogwarts, Harry lamented that he was never able to find replacements as talented as they were for the team[5]. He also showed highly skilled control of a broomstick when escaping Hogwarts in 1995.

Non-verbal magic: Fred was highly skilled at nonverbal spells, indicating a high degree of talent and discipline with magic. He once transfigured a sprout knife Ron threw at him into a paper aeroplane with nothing more than "one lazy flick of his wand"[5].

"...Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny..."

"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a decent Shield Charm... And then we thought we'd get into the whole area of Defence Against the Dark Arts, because it's such a money spinner."

Potion-making: As part-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Fred is quite skilled in creating new potions, most of the time with positive, humourous effects. George and Fred must have advanced abilities in this type of thing, for their shop is extremely prosperous.

Hogwarts secret passageways expert: Ever since Fred swiped the Marauder's Map from Argus Filch's office with George,[7] they had a great knowledge of all of Hogwarts grounds including the secret passageways. Fred even once commented that the Map had taught him more at school than the professors had. The twins' knowledge of the grounds were second only to the Marauders. They seemed to have memorised the Map entirely, as they gave it to Harry in his third year and still remembered everything. This knowledge allowed Fred to tell Hermione Granger where the Hogwarts kitchens were[9], and for him and George to lead the defence of the school's secret passages during the Battle of Hogwarts[6].

Ron Weasley: "It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs."

Apparition: Fred and George managed to pass their Apparition tests sometime prior to their final year in Hogwarts, apparently "with distinction". To celebrate their coming of age of being allowed to use magic outside of school, as well as making travelling a close distance easier, they both took to Apparating as often as possible, even over very short distances.[10]

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick, but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

Muggle tricks: Despite being pure-bloods and raised entirely in the wizarding world, Fred and George recognised the usefulness of certain Muggle abilities, and mastered several skills that they found amusing or useful, such as lock-picking[4]. As such, they launched a line of Muggle tricks in their shop, "for freaks like Dad", according to Fred, even though it was not much of a seller[5]. This may have been influenced by their father, Arthur Weasley, who also was interested in Muggles. This also demonstrates Fred and George's ingenuity, as not many people born into the magical world are familiar with Muggle devices or skills.

Possessions

Wand

His wand

Fred Weasley's wand had been bought in 1989, if it was bought when he was eleven. Although it was most likely bought second-hand like many of the Weasley Family's possessions, the wood and core of Fred Weasley's wand is unknown. It is probable that the wand is most suitable for Transfiguration, due to Fred's talents and choice of subjects.

The Marauder's Map

Along with George, Fred "nicked" the Marauder's Map from a drawer in Filch's office, during their first year.[7] Sometime between then and 1993, he and George figured out how to unlock and erase the Map.[7] He used the map ever since until 1993, he gave the map to Harry Potter in order for him to sneak into Hogsmeade.[7]

Cleansweep Fives

Fred and his twin each flew on a Cleansweep Five when they played as Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.[16] Their use of such outdated broomsticks was likely due to their family's financial problems.[16] Despite this, the twins are still very skilled in flying and as Beaters.[8]Draco Malfoy, "who could always afford the best," insulted Fred and George's vintage brooms by saying that a museum would bid for them.[16] Their brooms, along with Harry Potter's, were confiscated by Dolores Umbridge when they assaulted Malfoy for insulting their families.[17] After the twins released a Portable Swamp in defiance to the woman, they used a Summoning Charm to retrieve their brooms from her office, and used them to fly out of Hogwarts as a final act of rebellion.[17] The broomsticks created two rather large holes in Umbridge's door.[17]

George Weasley was Fred’s twin, best friend, and partner in crime. They were about as close as two brothers can be. They did just about everything together. They often finished each other’s sentences and spoke in a back and forth way that could confuse others at times. Together, Fred and George designed many ingenious pranks and shared the ambition to found a joke shop together.[5] They were also both Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and close friends with Lee Jordan.[10]

George was devastated by the death of his twin in the Battle of Hogwarts, and would never truly get over this loss. He eventually named his son after Fred.[6]

Like his younger siblings, Fred tended to look up to his older brothers Bill and Charlie. However, he and George delighted in teasing Percy, who was closer to their age and very different from them in personality. Their mother was always encouraging the twins to be more like Percy, who was responsible and academically motivated, but Fred and George thought him to be stuffy and arrogant. Thus, they frequently mocked any behaviour they saw as arrogant on his part, such as his pride in his position as a school prefect.[4] The twins were the angriest with Percy when he became estranged with the rest of the family over their support of Albus Dumbledore instead of the Ministry[10], but also seemed the most inclined to ask about him during his estrangement, as Fred asked their mother if Percy was coming home for the Christmas holidays in 1996[5]. Fred was the first to accept Percy's apology during the Battle of Hogwarts, and he and George subsequently acted as if the split had never happened. During the battle, Fred and Percy fought side by side, and Percy was devastated over his brother’s death, fiercely protecting his body and furiously pursuing Augustus Rookwood.[6]

The twins also enjoyed teasing their only younger brother, Ron. Notably, Fred transfigured his teddy bear into a spider after Ron broke his toy broomstick[4], once nearly manipulated him into taking an Unbreakable Vow with him and George[5], and teased him over his embarrassing crush on Fleur Delacour[9]. Fred and George sometimes pestered Ron to the point of infuriating him, such as when they mocked him for becoming a prefect, a position Ron never tried to use against them[10]. However, they also helped Ron out, such as by giving him a copy of Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches and aiding him in transfiguring the Weasley family ghoul to resemble Ron with spattergroit as his cover while he was hunting Horcruxes with Harry and Hermione[6]. Fred was quite close to his sister Ginny, who was similar to the twins in temperament, and sometimes joined them in teasing others, especially Ron. They were protective of her, as well, and disapproved of her love life, it is unknown to Fred that Harry and Ginny were going out during her fifth and his sixth year and then dated after the battle and then married.[5]

Parents

Like most members of the Weasley family, Fred got on well with his parents. The atmosphere was generally light, relaxed and casual.

Molly Weasley was often described as the only one Fred and George were afraid of, and was often unhappy with Fred's lack of seriousness and commitment to his learning. She was unhappy with both his earning of only three O.W.L.s and desire to own a joke shop. However, Mrs Weasley loved him very much and was devastated by her son's death during the Battle of Hogwarts, on 2 May1998 and was seen crying over his dead body.

Arthur Weasley was more laid back than his wife. While not overly supportive of Fred's wrong doing, he seemed to encourage the trying of new things. Mr Weasley was excited when informed of Fred's adventure rescuing Harry Potter from the Dursleys and only pretended to be strict. However, he was cranky when Fred slipped Dudley Dursley an enchanted toffee. Mr. Weasley was immensely saddened by Fred's death, and was seen with his wife near his dead body.

Fred first met Harry Potter in his third year at Hogwarts, when Harry was beginning his first year and needed help on the train; then Harry became friends with Ron. The twins became friendly with him when he joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team as their Seeker, giving them hope to win the House Cup.[8] The following year, Fred and George cheered Harry up when many of the students believed that he might be the Heir of Slytherin, which they scoffed at[4], and the year after that, they gave him the Marauder's Map to help him sneak into Hogsmeade[7]. They also stood up for Harry when others doubted his claim that Lord Voldemort had returned or challenged his authority in Dumbledore's Army, and assisted him in contacting Sirius Black when he told them and Ginny of his desire to speak to his godfather[10]. Both twins risked their lives in the operation to remove Harry from his relatives’ home in 1997.[6] They seemed to regard Harry almost as another younger sibling, and were inclined both to be protective of him and teasing of him. Harry was devastated by Fred's death during the Battle of Hogwarts to the point where he felt like the world had ended, though he could not bring himself to join the Weasleys' small group around his body. He eventually became Fred's brother-in-law through his marriage to Ginny.

Hermione Granger

Fred: "...we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble any more."

Fred became friendly with Hermione Granger after she became a close friend to his younger brother Ron. Although Hermione disapproved of some of the twins’ antics, since she was a Prefect, she generally got on fairly well with them. They seemed to regard Hermione like an older sister, always trying to keep them on track, despite being almost two years younger than them.[10]

They were outraged when Draco Malfoy called her a “Mudblood” in 1992, to the point of attempting to physically attack him.[4] Hermione also warned Fred and his twin brother that their Ageing Potion would not trick the age line protecting the Goblet of Fire due to the fact that Dumbledore would have thought of a foolish ageing potion in advance. They found out she was right when they were blown backwards and grew long, white beards. Fred and George also tried to get Hermione to relax, joking around with her about things such as their late uncle Bilius's penchant for making mischief at weddings[6]. Hermione also admired the twins' cleverness and creativity in their spell work, once remarking that they could do some "extraordinary magic,"[5] though she did not agree with how they put it to use. Hermione was also one of the few people willing to stand up to Fred and George when she disagreed with them. For example, when she caught them testing sweets from the Skiving Snackbox on first-year students with Lee Jordan, she was furious, and told them off for what she considered taking advantage of innocent children. Fred and George initially scoffed at her concerns and at her ability to make them stop, but backed down when she threatened to tell their mother.[10] However, the twins did not seem to hold a grudge, as they continued to be friendly; Fred even later gave Hermione material from the joke shop free of charge[5]. She was saddened by the death of Fred, comforting a swollen-eyed Ginny. Hermione would eventually become Fred's sister-in-law through her marriage to Ron.

Angelina Johnson

Angelina Johnson was a Gryffindor in Fred's year at Hogwarts, and was on the house Quidditch team with him and George. They were good friends; Fred asked her with complete confidence and rather casually to go to the Yule Ball, and she accepted nonchalantly, but with "a bit of a grin on her face". The following year, Angelina became Captain of the Quidditch team and was annoyed with Fred and George when they were kicked off the team by Dolores Umbridge, as it hurt the team's chances[10]. Angelina did not attend Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding as Fred's date, and he flirted with cousins of the bride while there. However, the two seemed to still be on friendly terms, as they fought alongside one another during the Battle of Hogwarts. Angelina would go on to marry George, and they named their son after Fred.[6]

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall was the Transfiguration teacher during Fred and his brother, George's years at Hogwarts. Although McGonagall was always well known for being strict and stern, she was never shown punishing or even telling off Fred and George for their wild behaviour and many pranks. It was known however that they were good Quidditch players from a good family, and she was visibly displeased with having Fred, George, and Harry kicked off the Gryffindor Quidditch team. McGonagall often perceived the twins as troublemakers but seemed to share their dislike of Dolores Umbridge, who was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for a small time. McGonagall did not attempt to remove the fireworks that surfaced around the school causing great disruptions. When Fred made his legendary escape in 1996, McGonagall assisted Peeves to unscrew an overhead chandelier. It was Fred's desire that such mayhem existed.

Lee Jordan.

Lee Jordan

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there -"

Filius Flitwick

Fred and George had a good relationship with many Hogwarts professors. Professor Filius Flitwick, the Charms professor and Head of Ravenclaw House, seemed to like them and he was very happy with their spell work. He also thought that they were very talented wizards and supported them in rebelling against Dolores Umbridge in 1995. When Fred and George set off fireworks around the grounds she spent a day running around putting them out. After she had finished inspecting Flitwick's classroom, he told her that he could have put them all out easily but was concerned he didn't have the authority to do so. After Easter break, the twins used one of their inventions, a Portable Swamp to change a corridor and several courtyards into swamps, shortly afterwards they departed from school to go into the world of business. Flitwick was seen cheering and supporting them at their departure after they circled around Umbridge and Filch. Flitwick was asked to remove the swamp they created, which he did but left a small patch in the corner as he believed it to be really good magic.

Rubeus Hagrid

—Hagrid to Ron about keeping his brothers away from the Forbidden Forest.[src]

Hagrid

Fred and George were friends of Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, throughout their time at Hogwarts. Hagrid seemed to be one of their favourite members of the staff, as he was not too serious and very tolerant, as many other professors were viewed as. They were also among the few people who still believed that Hagrid was a great person, even after they learned that he was a half-giant. Hagrid thought that Fred and George were trouble-makers, but still very funny. He once compared them with James Potter and Sirius Black. Furthermore, they were all among Harry Potter's closest friends. Fred and George fought in the Second Wizarding War along with Hagrid. However, during the Battle of Hogwarts, he, George, and Hagrid split up. Fred, meanwhile, met up with his older brother, Percy, and together they duelled Pius Thicknesse. However, Fred was killed in the explosion soon afterward.

Albus Dumbledore

Both Fred and George appeared to respect the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. They, like many others, thought that he was the greatest wizard of all time. He seemed to like them as well, despite the fact that they did stir up trouble; He knew they were good people at heart. Along with George, Fred joined the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation founded by Dumbledore, in order to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They also joined Dumbledore's Army, in 1995, an army founded and led by Harry to oppose the Ministry's interference.

Dolores Umbridge

Fred and George hated Dolores Umbridge with a passion, who was appointed by the Ministry of Magic as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in 1995. Umbridge was a sadistic woman who enjoyed punishing and torturing students. Almost every resident of Hogwarts at the time hated Umbridge, but she particularly hated Harry Potter, Fred, and George. When George and Harry attacked Draco Malfoy, Umbridge kicked them off the team, along with Fred. They also created a Portable Swamp, in order to anger Umbridge. When she attempted to punish them, Fred and George insulted her in front of the whole school and then fled with their broomsticks.

Some members of the army were also members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, including Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. The girls appeared to be close with Fred, whom they possibly knew since their first year, as well as George. Both of them were very upset when Umbridge kicked Harry and the twins off the team. Fred met them again when they fought at the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998.

He and George were both friends of Sirius Black. Sirius was friendly with them, but he argued with the twins (for example: when he told them to wait at home while their father was in danger). Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996. The twins were saddened by his death, but tried not to remind Harry about it.

They were also friends of Remus Lupin, whom they first met in 1993, when he was Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. They considered him among the best teachers of this lesson they had ever had. Lupin fought with the twins in many battles of the Second War, and was killed in the final battle, along with Fred. Their bodies were put near each other's in the Great Hall.

Another member of the Order that they knew was Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks and the twins were close in age, and they were friendly. They fought together in the Battle of the Seven Potters and the Battle of Hogwarts. Tonks was killed during the battle, too. Her body was put near Fred's, as well as Lupin's, after their death.

The twins also knew Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. They appeared to have a good relationship, although they were not very close. When Moody was killed by Voldemort, everyone was sad. When the twins learned about it, they were joking with each other. They immediately stopped talking, and their expressions immediately switched to sadness. Kingsley survived the war and became Minister for Magic.

Etymology

The name Fred is generally considered a short form of the name Frederick.[19] It is the English form of a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler," derived from frid, "peace," and ric, "ruler, power." It has been a very common name for rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia, such as Frederick the Great of Prussia.[20] Fred is also sometimes used as a diminutive of Alfred, derived from the Old English Ælfræd, meaning "elf counsel," or Alfrid, meaning "old peace." Alfred the Great was a ninth-century king of Wessex who battled the Danes and translated many Latin books into Old English.[21] In Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, Fred means "peace."

There has been some suggestion that Fred and George are named after their maternal uncles, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, who were killed in the First Wizarding War, who may have been twins, and who share Fred and George's first initials.

Another possible significance of the twins' names is that George III became king because of the early death of Frederick, Prince of Wales. George III was also deaf in one ear.

Author's comments

J. K. Rowling has commented that she always knew Fred was going to be killed in the series, though she guessed that readers would have expected George to die first, since he was the "gentler" of the two: “Fred is normally the funnier but also the crueller of the two. So they might have thought that George would be the more vulnerable one and, therefore, the one to die... Either one of them would have been terrible to kill. It was awful killing Fred. I hated that.”[12] She also described Fred and George as "the risk-takers in the family...who just take a totally different life path and were prepared to risk everything"[22].

Rowling has also stated that Fred and George are among her favourite characters[23].

His name was Bellatrix Lestrange's last word, in the variation of "Freddie." In the last film this line was cut out and instead it is George who calls Fred "Freddie" when asking if he was ready for battle.

Ironically, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fred says that when he gets married, he would not bother with anything fancy. However, he dies and it is instead George who gets married.

The only times Fred or George have been injured were when they were apart. They were split up at the time of Fred's death and when George lost his ear.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, it appears as though Fred is killed by a Death Eater as the last moment seen of Fred is him scrambling on the floor with a Death Eater standing over him just as both start to cast a spell. However, due to the brevity of the scene, it escapes most people that the twin in this scene is George, not Fred. The twin in this scene is wearing a purple jacket, which is what George wears during the Battle of Hogwarts; Fred's jacket is green. Furthermore, the ear is also a clue, as it is mangled and has no earlobe. Fred's death is not seen on-screen much to the dismay of fans. It is not on the DVD version, or in the deleted scenes. He dies when a wall blows up and falls over him.

↑In his later teenage years, Harry Potter was said to be "within an inch" of his father's height, and James Potter was described as being tall. When Fred and George took Polyjuice Potion to take on Harry's appearance in Ch. 4 of Deathly Hallows, they shrunk, indicating that they are taller than Harry.